In the final weeks of October, a series of events at Central European petrochemical producers was recorded, which may constrain polyethylene supply in the region. A Slovak producer joined those in Serbia, Romania and Hungary that had reported issues, announcing a reduction in crude oil volumes delivered to the country via a pipeline from Croatia. If feedstock deliveries to Poland decrease, this could contribute to higher polyethylene prices in the coming weeks.
HDPE:
- Production issues at a Hungarian producer affected the HDPE market in Poland unevenly: some traders reported a sudden spike in inquiries, while others observed limited customer interest;
- US polyethylene prices, after a slight decline at the start of October, remained stable;
- With reduced supply of material from Central Europe, some traders attempted minimal HDPE price increases.
LDPE:
- End-month activity in LDPE was 'chaotic': converters actively inquired about the availability of Hungarian material and substitutes, and about price levels, but some held off purchases; others bought immediately, accepting a wide price range;
- In the last week of October, customers of one producer received letters announcing polymer supply disruptions in November.
LLDPE:
- Demand for linear polyethylene remained persistently weak. Some traders recorded very few inquiries for LLDPE, while others sold off-grade noticeably better than prime material.
